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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26020096">love in all its forms</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/imadetheline/pseuds/imadetheline'>imadetheline</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Old Guard (Movie 2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, Fluff, Found Family, Gen, Immortal Found Family, M/M, acearo Nile, and booker's not actually in this, coming-out, mentions of aphobia, mentions of drinking and clubs, quynh is only mentioned</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 06:07:17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,357</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26020096</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/imadetheline/pseuds/imadetheline</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>She gestures at Joe’s hand wrapped around Nicky’s waist. “You know how you and Nicky know you only like men?” They both nod their heads. “And how Quynh only liked women and Andy likes anybody?” Andy nods softly, and Nile winces at the sadness in her eyes, but she continues, determined to tell them. “Well, I just don’t like… people in general… like that, romantically or sexually.” She avoids their eyes and glances down at the ground, tracing the lines of their shadows on the sidewalk, framed by the street lights lining the road.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Andy | Andromache &amp; Booker | Sebastien &amp; Nile Freeman &amp; Joe | Yusuf &amp; Nicky | Nicolò &amp; Quynh, Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>266</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>love in all its forms</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Read another fic about acearo Nile and I loved it so much I had to write something. (The fic was Florence, 2020 - go read it guys) Anyway, not entirely satisfied with this but I spent time on it so I decided to post it. Hope you guys enjoy it!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“C’mon, Andy,” Joe pleads. “Come with us. Have some fun, boss.”</p>
<p>“Not tonight, Joe. I’m kinda busy,” she nods at the sword in her lap. </p>
<p>Joe just stares at her. She stares back. “Really? You’re gonna sharpen swords all night?”</p>
<p>“We certainly have enough,” comes the monotone comment from Nicky. Joe can hear Nile laugh from the kitchen behind him.</p>
<p>“Not helping,” Joe whispers out of the corner of his mouth. Nile just laughs louder. </p>
<p>Andy grins, leaning the sword against the edge of the couch as she stands, “Fine.” At Joe’s widening smile she makes sure to clarify, “But only for a few hours. Don’t forget, I’m old.”</p>
<p>“Not old enough to forget how to party I’m sure,” Nicky responds as he stands from his chair at the kitchen table. </p>
<p>“Certainly not,” Joe laughs, gesturing for the front door. “After you.”</p>
<p>Andy only smacks him on the arm on her way to the front door.. Joe turns to Nile as she passes him on her way out the door and puts on a grimace, rubbing at his arm. She chuckles and shakes her head as she follows Andy out onto the snowy sidewalk. Joe yells after Andy “What about a jacket?” </p>
<p>But her only reply is to yell back, “Wimps!”</p>
<p>Joe grins and then Nicky is at Joe’s side before he can turn, pulling the door shut and wrapping an arm around Joe’s waist. Joe smiles and presses a quick kiss to Nicky’s temple before his lover is pulling him down the street and after the women a few paces ahead, snow falling around their heads like dancing leaves.</p>
<p>«««»»»»</p>
<p>The snow is piling up outside and by the time they reach the club their fingers are frozen and they’re all shivering a little. But the establishment is warm and welcoming as Andy pulls the heavy wood door open. The scent of alcohol hits them immediately along with the sweat of dancing bodies pressed close together. It’s already crowded and the music is pulsing, thrumming through the air. It’s intoxicating.</p>
<p>They find an open table in the back, near the dance floor. Neon lights flash through their vision and it’s almost too loud to think. But that’s why they’re there. To let go a little. </p>
<p>Joe excuses himself to the bar to order drinks, grabbing Nicky’s waist and spinning him as they cross the corner of the dance floor. Nile laughs easily at their antics and even Andy smirks, already reclining on one of the uncomfortable metal chairs as if it’s a throne. Nile sits down next to her and tries not to think about the sticky spot on the table in front of her. It’s easy enough. The whole room is distracting. It’s electric. People are silver blurs under the constant flashes of light and the music isn’t loud so much as it is a part of the air she’s breathing.</p>
<p>Andy watches her almost enraptured face with the smallest smile. She thinks she remembers what it was like to be that in love with the world. Once.</p>
<p>And then Joe is pushing past grinding couples, drinks in hand, and Nicky’s trailing him, still more drinks in his hands. Nile whoops, but it’s lost to the music, and grabs the closest one from Joe, immediately taking a gulp. She pulls a face, but then shrugs, and takes another swig. </p>
<p>Joe laughs and hands a drink off to Andy. She doesn’t even bother to ask what it is. It doesn’t really matter. She takes a sip as Nicky sets the other drinks down. It’s cheap, whatever it is. But she won’t let that stop her. </p>
<p>Joe doesn’t even stop to sit or try his drink before he’s offering his hand to Nicky. “Shall we?” he smirks. Nicky rolls his eyes, but he’s smiling and then he’s taking Joe’s hand, letting him whisk them off to the dance floor.</p>
<p>Nile grins again, her eyes following the couple as they blend into the crowd of moving bodies. She’s not sure if she’s stopped grinning since they got here. “They’re so cute.”</p>
<p>“Just wait. They never stop,” is Andy’s only response.</p>
<p>NIle shakes her head fondly and instead only sets down her drink and asks, “Do you dance?”</p>
<p>Andy shakes her head, “Not here,” and takes another sip of whatever she’s drinking.</p>
<p>Nile’s smile softens as she nods.</p>
<p>Andy clears her throat, “But I think he does.” She nods toward a man who’s broken off from the writhing mass on the dance floor.</p>
<p>Nile glances over her shoulder in the man’s direction. The strobing lights make it hard to make out features, but he’s pretty tall. And sure enough he’s stopping in front of their table. “Hey, um, do you want to dance?”</p>
<p>Nile turns to Andy and rolls her eyes at the woman’s clearly visible smirk, even through the shadows and bursts of light.</p>
<p>She quickly turns back to the man, “Sure,” she says standing and taking his hand. She lets herself be led off into the mix of people, music, and light.</p>
<p>Andy watches with a quiet smile.</p>
<p>«««»»»»</p>
<p>The night wears on despite Andy’s earlier condition of only a few hours. Nicky and Joe soon exit the dance floor in favor of sitting with Andy. She leaves to sit at the bar at one point for 20 minutes while they make out, but by the time Nile stumbles off the dance floor, sweaty and exhausted, they’re all back sitting at the table, drinks in hand. Nile almost collapses into the only empty chair, too preoccupied with loosening her sneakers’ laces around her sore feet to notice her family’s matching grins. She had been dancing most of the night. Andy had seen her with at least 20 different people in between stops at the bar.</p>
<p>“So how’d it go? Fall in love with anyone?” asks Joe, who’s got one arm slung around Nicky’s shoulders, his other nursing a beer.</p>
<p>She finally looks up and sighs when she sees their shared smirks. “It was fun,” is all she says as she reaches for her own drink. She takes a sip and immediately sets it back down, grimacing. Not a great idea to drink lukewarm… whatever alcohol that is. She leans back in her chair and looks back up at the ceiling, the light almost blinding her.</p>
<p>“C’mon, Nile. That’s it?” Joe asks, leaning forward.</p>
<p>“There sure were a lot of dance partners,” Andy mumbles into her drink. Nicky shoots her a look, bright eyes flashing, but Nile doesn’t see it. She’s too focused on counting the amount of times the lights flash different colors before they circle back to blue. She thinks it’s six but her brain’s kind of fuzzy.</p>
<p>Before any of them can shake her from her trance and ask her if she’s ok the man from earlier is tapping on her shoulder. She tilts her head to the side slightly, just enough to recognize him. He shifts nervously under her gaze but she doesn’t say anything, just waits for him to speak. </p>
<p>He clears his throat and says “Can I talk to you?” Nile makes no move to speak or stand. The man glances at Nile’s companions. Joe gives him a sympathetic smile. Nicky’s looking him up and down and Andy’s glaring. He shrinks in on himself a little and gestures halfheartedly to the bar across the room, “Privately?”</p>
<p>Nile seems to get what he wants then because she promptly stands and grabs her previously discarded lukewarm drink, finishing it in one go. Andy looks almost impressed. The boy looks scared, but committed to saying whatever he wants to say.</p>
<p>Nile follows him through the crowds to the bar. Andy, Nicky, and Joe stare openly as Joe asks, “What was that about?” Nicky shrugs and Andy only narrows her eyes at the bar as the man shrugs and Nile crosses her arms. “Is she okay?” Joe asks and again receives no response. Rolling his eyes, he too decides to focus his attention on Nile.</p>
<p>Now she’s shaking her head and he seems to be apologizing? Maybe? It’s hard to tell. People keep crossing their field of vision and lights are flashing  and the thumping of the bass makes it hard to concentrate and they’ve all had more than a few drinks. </p>
<p>Finally, the man’s disappearing back into the crowd and Nile’s crossing the dance floor. Her white jacket is reminiscent of a chameleon as it reflects the color of the lights above. She disappears in the crowd for a second before they’re able to catch sight of her.</p>
<p>At the beginning of the night, she had been laughing and excited but now as she approaches their table she just looks tired. “Hey, you guys ready to head out?” She gestures vaguely in the direction they entered. </p>
<p>They just nod in silent agreement and Andy turns to the bar with a quiet “I’ll pay,” that’s lost to the humming in the air as she slips out of sight to pay off their tab. Nile smiles slowly and turns to push her way through the crowd. </p>
<p>Nicky grabs their jackets as he exchanges a worried glance with Joe.</p>
<p>They push through the crowd, pulling on jackets and in Nile’s case a scarf that had been a gift from Nicky when they were in Italy. When they step outside, the snow has stopped but it’s still freezing. </p>
<p>Joe pulls Nicky in close as they wait for Andy, his hands sliding under Nicky’s shirt. Nicky immediately jumps away, much to Joe’s disappointment. “You’re warm,” he pouts. </p>
<p>“And your hands are freezing,” Nicky says, moving back to Joe’s side making sure to keep an eye on Joe’s hands.</p>
<p>“But that’s why I need you to warm them up. It’s a vicious cycle,” Joe smirks. </p>
<p>Nicky glances at Nile who’s smiling slightly and sighs. “Fine. But not under my shirt,” and he grabs Joe’s hands between his own and starts rubbing circles into Joe’s knuckles.</p>
<p>Joe leans in and presses a kiss to Nicky’s cheek in a silent thank you. Nicky just squeezes his hands and glances at Nile. Her smile has fallen again as she turns away from them, looking out across the darkened street.</p>
<p>Joe follows his gaze and then looks back at Nicky, who nods. “Hey, Nile. What’d that guy want in there?” Joe asks.</p>
<p>Nile doesn’t turn, just laughs humorlessly and then says, “He wanted me to go home with him.”</p>
<p>“Oh, Nile. You could have. Don’t let our presence stop you from-” Nicky starts but Joe pulls his hands away drawing Nicky’s attention and shakes his head. Nicky stops talking as they wait for Nile to tell them what she wants to.</p>
<p>“It’s not that. I know you guys don’t care. I just didn’t want to. I don’t-,” she says quickly and stops just as abruptly, sighing and tilting her head back, the moon barely visible through the clouds.</p>
<p>Joe pulls away from Nicky’s side and steps forward, fingers brushing Nile’s sleeve as he says, “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.” Nile glances at them then, sees the sincerity and kindness in Joe’s eyes, sees Nicky nod from behind Joe, and sighs.</p>
<p>“No I uh… It’s just not something I usually talk about.” Joe starts to nod and step back. “But um.. I… It’ll be easier if I tell you.”</p>
<p>Nicky steps forward so he’s beside Joe again as Nile starts talking. “It’s just tiring cause I always have to turn people down like that and they usually start demanding a reason and it’s just…” She groans, closing her eyes. </p>
<p>Joe and Nicky glance at each other. “So you only like women?” Joe asks.</p>
<p>Nicky’s nodding. “Like Quynh.”</p>
<p>Nile’s eyes shoot open at that. “No, no. That’s not what I meant. Um… How do I…” She glances to the sky and it’s clear she’s looking for the correct words. She opens her mouth to speak but then the door to the club swings open and it’s Andy. Nicky and Joe glance at her and Joe shushes her as she opens her mouth to speak. She just glares at him until he gestures to Nile, who’s just smiling at their dramatics. Andy gestures for her to continue, while still shooting daggers at Joe with her eyes.</p>
<p>She gestures at Joe’s hand wrapped around Nicky’s waist. “You know how you and Nicky know you only like men?” They both nod their heads. “And how Quynh only liked women and Andy likes anybody?” Andy nods softly, and Nile winces at the sadness in her eyes, but she continues, determined to tell them. “Well, I just don’t like… people in general… like that, romantically or sexually.” She avoids their eyes and glances down at the ground, tracing the lines of their shadows on the sidewalk, framed by the street lights lining the road. It’s almost quiet for a moment. The ear-splitting music from the club is only a muffled afterthought in the frozen air. </p>
<p>Joe seems to understand first as he speaks, “There are different types of love, dear Nile.” He glances to Nicky, then Andy, smiling fondly. “And we love you.” </p>
<p>Nile stands there for a moment, staring at them. “You’re the first people I’ve told.”</p>
<p>“Well, we’re honored.” Nicky smiles.</p>
<p>And then they’re all smiling and Nile’s happier than she’s been all night..</p>
<p>And then Andy’s pushing past Joe and Nicky, “And you both are a bunch of saps. I’m freezing my ass off out here.” Nile laughs as Joe’s glares at Andy’s back as she starts walking down the sidewalk.</p>
<p> As Andy passes her she squeezes the younger immortal’s shoulder and shoots her a quick grin. Nile’s own smile grows. Joe slings an arm around her shoulder as they begin to walk after Andy and he yells after her, “I told you to bring a jacket!”</p>
<p>She doesn’t turn, just flips them off over her shoulder. Joe lets out a loud laugh and Nile can’t help but laugh with him as she sees Nicky’s quiet amusement.</p>
<p>Somehow nothing’s changed. And everything’s changed. It’s nice to be known.</p>
<p>It’s nice to have a family.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>If you guys liked it leave a comment. They make my day! I may write more of these two so if you guys have ideas for other one-shots send me an ask on tumblr <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/imadetheline">here</a> or just yell about the old guard and other fandom stuff with me. I also have another tumblr <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/soithinkicanwrite">here</a> for all my writing stuff. Thanks for reading!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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